Crocheted ‘Peek-a-Boo Pullover’

The pattern for this crocheted blouse (“Lilac Peek-a-Boo Pullover”) was modified from the original depiction in Melissa Leapman’s book, Crochet with Style. I selected a pale green yarn and shortened the sleeves of the pullover. The yarn (Silk City Fibers Perle 5/2 Cotton) was purchased from The Web-sters in Ashland, Oregon.

Evolving communication technology

Wading through in-boxes for some of my e-mail accounts, some of the mass-distribution lists to which I am a subscriber remind me of clubs’ print newsletters grafted to a new technology.

Stars of Lake County: ‘Creative Expressions’ nomination

In an emailed message to the Lake Couty Chamber of Commerce, I nominated “Creative Expressions” in the Stars of Lake County’s “Best Idea” category. “Creative Expressions” debuted in February 2008. It appears twice monthly — on second and fourth Saturdays — in the Lake County Record-Bee.

“Creative Expressions” is due to the effort of Lake County Poet Laureate Mary McMillan and writers Sandra Wade, Richard Schmidt and Lourdes Thuesen. They solicit contributions and make the selections that appear in each edition. Through their continuing efforts, local writers have one more venue for their poetry and creative prose.

‘People’s Movements, People’s Press’ by Bob Ostertag

People’s Movements, People’s Press: The Journalism of Social Justice Movements by Bob Ostertag (Beacon Press, 2006) offers an invaluable look at the history of social movements and their media.

These early newspapers and magazines were the principle means of transmission in isolated communities and served to mobilize people around movements for civil rights.

This book also charts the history of communication technology, which placed the power of publishing into the hands of more and more people.

Desktop publishing software puts the same tools at my disposal — whether producing club newsletters, a lending library brochure or doing layouts for a daily newspaper. The only difference from a layout perspective is in the publication’s scale — broadsheet and tabloid instead of letter-size paper.

It really helps me in my daily profession as a newspaper editor, to be on the distribution list of locally-produced newsletters. They help me be informed and, in turn, inform the paper’s readers by reprinting a newsletter item with noted attribution.

Four cats and one radiator

Left to right: Elizabeth, Lily, Gizmo and Lucifer

Elizabeth shares the radiator with the kittens, Lily and Gizmo ... but Lucifer has arrived to mobilize the forces and lobby the humans for food.

Originally posted to Facebook

Poetry Out Loud returns to Lake County

Michele Krueger, the Lake County coordinator for California Poets in the Schools; and Sandra Wade, a former Lake County Poet Laureate; are facilitating school contests for the Poetry Out Loud national recitation contest. Students at Lower Lake High School, Middletown High School, and Clear Lake High School are participating.

Whose values will win if school districts consolidate?

If all of our school districts are consolidated into one, I want to know whose values and priorities the “streamlined” model will adopt to deal with student bullying.